Pregnancy Update: Week 41

Posted on June 17, 2013 by pintofgoals

How far along? 41 weeks, so overdue by a week.

Baby’s size? The website I had been referring to stops giving comparative fruits and vegetables after 40 weeks. Maybe there’s one that starts comparing her to animals? Household objects?

Weight gained? I am holding steady at 25 lbs.

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep? Some nights are better than others. Saturday morning I slept until almost 8am – that almost never happens. Brody’s sleep, on the other hand, has been suffering big time. I have apparently become a snore monster. Truth: I woke myself up at least once because of my own snoring.

Best moment(s) this week? Giving birth…psych. That didn’t happen, but it would’ve been cool. For real, though – good times: getting to the dog park every day, going to see This is the End with Brody on Saturday afternoon, trying new recipes, meeting up with Jeana and Nicole, reading on the back patio, hanging out with Brody after work (and not being worried about grading), and, of course, hearing Baby’s heartbeat at our now bi-weekly appointments. It’s the little things.

Miss anything? The usual: stomach sleeping, changing sleeping positions while sleeping, red wine (and sangria), blah blah blah.

Looking forward to? Seeing our baby and finally telling everyone her name.

Movement? She’s still squirming in there.

Food cravings? This isn’t exactly a craving but more of an anti-aversion; I ate chicken breasts! Now it wasn’t a whole chicken breasts as that still makes me want to gag. I made sweet and sour chicken (bite-size pieces), and I ate it and liked it.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Food commercials – I can’t watch them. Everything savory looks disgusting. Everything sweet still looks good, though.

Exercise? Lots of walking still. One day this week I made it to the dog park in the morning and again with Jena when she was done with work. I got to the gym one day for some treadmill walking and elliptical action.

Gender? Girl.

Labor signs? Lots of Braxton Hicks, lost my mucus plug (sorry if that’s TMI), some crampiness, some lower back aches, slightly dilated and effaced, and brief “twinges” of pain. Two nights this week I woke up thinking (and hoping) that my water had broke. Unfortunately it was just sweat that had formed between my thighs and knees from how I lie in bed. Both embarrassing and disappointing.

Symptoms? I don’t even know how to answer this one anymore.

Belly button in or out? Out. The timer says I’m done, but Baby hasn’t heard the buzzer. Lame metaphor? Yes.

Wedding rings on or off? Off at night and on for most of the day. I don’t wear it to the dog park because my hands swell when walking in the warmer temps.

INDUCTION
Now that I’m d-day plus seven days, the i-word has been tossed around a lot by me, friends, and my doctor. Before my due date, Brody and I had decided to hold off and avoid induction interventions.

Suddenly at my appointment on Thursday (three days after EDD), I found myself open to the idea of inducing using a prostaglandin. The three of us discussed even doing it that next weekend or early next week. My doctor was not pressuring me but was open if I waned to do it.

As we drove away, Brody (unintentionally) asked a loaded question: But I thought you wanted to wait?

After a nights sleep, some additional thought, and a little research, I decided to not schedule anything, and Brody supports that decision. I believe the pressure of “the due date,” my boredom at home, everyone’s well-intentioned texts and calls (don’t take that the wrong way friends and family – keep checking in!!!), and knowing I had the power to meet her in three-ish days got to me.

From what I’ve read, inducing can bring on a slew of interventions that I would like to avoid if possible. Obviously I’m open to whatever is necessary to have a safe and healthy baby, but the big two I hope to avoid are having a C-section and getting Pitocin.

In my free time this week, I read about lots of “natural” induction options, and have tried a handful. On Saturday morning, I decided to give reflexology a shot.

Reflexology is based on the belief that certain points in a person’s hands and feet correspond with body parts and organs, including the uterus. I made an appointment at Reflexions and decided that even if nothing happened from it, at least it’d be a relaxing 60 minutes.

The reflexologist was nice enough to have a chair for me instead of asking me to go on the table.

She also does fertility and prenatal massages, so she had the background knowledge to realize us pregnant ladies aren’t supposed to be on our backs for long. My feet were propped up with pillows, and she sat on the floor while working on my feet, ankles, and lower legs.

After the hour was up (which flew by!), she showed me three pressure points I could continue to work on that connect to the uterus: one on the bottom of each foot, one above the inside ankle bone on each foot, and the webbing between the thumb and first finger.

Considering it’s Monday, I wouldn’t say the reflexology session induced labor, but it sure felt great and was, as I had hoped, very relaxing.

I have a doctor’s appointment today at noon, so we’ll see how I’m progressing and what the future plans may be.

Hope you have a wonderful Monday!

Questions:
Have you ever tried any more “alternative” medicine (besides massage and chiropractic care)?
To the mamas out there – What brought on labor for you?

A Photo Every Hour {6/14/2013}

Posted on June 14, 2013 by pintofgoals

I decided to copy Chelsey’s post, which was actually Katie’s idea. This way you can all see the ridiculousness of my life at the moment. Yes, I know it is all about to change drastically in ways I could never imagine, but for now, please appreciate, scoff, or relish in the supreme laziness that is my current life.

7:00am

After a decent night’s sleep (read: four trips to the bathroom), I arose a little after 6:15am. I made Brody’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich, ate a toasted cinnamon and raisin bagel, drank an iced coffee, watched the news, and at 7:00am, was getting the dogs ready for the park.

8:00am

The three of us met up with my favorite dog park people, all of whom are over the age of 60. Not sure what that says about me – I’m an “old soul”? I walked about two miles with them, and here we are on our way back to the car.

9:00am

I took a quick bird bath (aka a shower where you don’t wash your hair) and plopped down for some Today Show entertainment and blog reading. A snack of cheese and Triscuits happened around this time too.

10:00am

I left the house for the second time in one day – woot woot! While browsing the clothing section of Target would normally take at least twenty minutes, I had no reason to even glance in that direction. As I’ve been told, I shouldn’t expect to be wearing my normal clothes for a while. Sad face. Instead I bought interesting things like printer ink, crackers (on sale), Manwich, and yogurt covered raisins (for Brody). Also, if you are wondering, 9:30am is prime time for pregnant women and moms with newborns. We were everywhere in that store!

11:00am

Back at home, back on the couch. I did a little reading about induction methods and going beyond your due date and watched TLC’s What Not to Wear.

12:00pm

Post-lunch, I moved my pregnant butt outside to the back deck. I finished Gone Girl yesterday (so good but quite eff’ed up characters) and started a YA book called If I Stay. I randomly found half a bag of M&Ms in the lazy susan with my cooking supplies – how I forgot they were there blows my mind. They were a perfect sweet treat for my sweet tooth.

1:00pm

Still outside and still reading. I was also doing quite a bit of texting with Brody and various friends. It seems like everyone has a life and stuff to do as no one was able to come hang out with me or meet me somewhere.

2:00pm

My pregnant college friend, Tina, called and we chatted for a while about pregnancy and baby things. Her due date is approaching and she was planning on getting reflexology done. This is one “natural” induction method I hadn’t read about. I did some research and found a massage clinic that also does reflexology just a few miles from my house. They don’t open until 4pm, though, so I need to wait to see if they can fit me in soon (like this afternoon still – ha!).

3:00pm

Frankie and I spent some quality time on the back deck together. I moved into the shade and ate a grapefruit.

4:00pm

I worked on this post for a while before calling the reflexology place. Good news! She got me in at 9am tomorrow!!!

5:00pm
I failed to take a picture this hour but was talking to Brody who had just gotten home from work.

6:00pm
Again, no photo. I was getting ready to leave the house for the third time in the day.

7:00pm

Brody’s involvement in the United Way brought us to a charity event, Berry Bash, at Heritage Hall in Camp Randall. I ordered a club soda and cranberry juice.

8:00pm

This is the same dress I wore to last year’s Berry Bash. Obviously it’s not a maternity dress but is big enough (or had enough stretch) to fit over my pregnant belly.

9:00pm

I actually remembered to get a picture of us.

10:00pm
No photo – we were still at Berry Bash, and I was probably eating a piece of cake.

11:00pm
No photo – I was in bed soon after this time.

There was my Friday, June 14. Although labor didn’t happen, it was a good day.

What To Do When You’re Overdue

Posted on June 12, 2013 by pintofgoals

Only about 5% of babies are born on their due dates, so it really shouldn’t come as a shock that mine has come and gone.

Physically, I’m doing good. I’ve been staying quite active (two trips to the dog park yesterday = four miles of walking) and did just over an hour of cardio (treadmill walking and elliptical) at the gym this morning.

Mentally…well, not horrible but not as good. I like to be busy and have stuff to do. As much as I complain about the grading that comes along with the school year, I love working. Typically by this point in the summer, I have started babysitting. Instead I’m at home, waiting…

What is an overdue pregnant lady to do when she’s not working and at home waiting for her life to drastically change?

Watch TLC, specifically A Baby Story, Long Island Medium, and What Not to Wear

source
Some tears have been shed with those first two shows.

Read a good book

I am loving Gone Girl – I just got to a really good spot and a big twist in the story.

Make lists of mundane (and maybe important) things to do

Doesn’t it feel productive to cross things off, even if it’s “clean coffee maker”?

Exercise

Not only is exercise good for you and the baby, but some say it may help get labor going.

Meet up with friends

Yesterday, I met up with Nicole and her daughter at Orange Leaf – so good to see her again! Oh ya – and I have a frequent buyer card now. So dangerous. On Monday, I met my friend Jeana and her 7 week old daughter Avery at Starbucks.

Check Gmail, Facebook, Feedly, and Instagram (too often)

Been doing WAY too much checking of social media lately.

People keep saying things like “Enjoy these last few quiet days.” I am trying, but when I have no idea what it’s going to be like with a newborn, how can I understand?

At least the dogs like having me at home during the day. They follow me around, get to go outside more (including the park), and take selfies with me.

Question:
Any productive or completely mundane tasks I should add to my to-do list?

My Weekend Through Websites

Posted on June 10, 2013 by pintofgoals

Confession: I spent a considerable time on the couch this weekend.

I guess I have a couple valid excuses:
1) This was my first weekend of summer vacation
2) I am 40 weeks pregnant (due date is today – June 10!!!!)

It’s difficult for me to do just one thing at a time, and this even extends to my down time. Often times while I’m on the couch, I’m also reading a magazine or a book or on my phone or iPad.

To peek into my weekend and life, I thought it’d be interesting to share ten (of the many) websites I visited.

1) Skinnytaste’s Cheeseburger Casserole

source
I ended up making this for dinner last night. So good and so easy.

2) Buzzfeed article about a beauty blogger’s facial gone bad
I won’t share any pictures, but seriously a crazy story.

3) Adoption website
I have never met these people, but they are friends of a friend. Their website was on Facebook, and I loved reading the story of their family. They seem like amazing parents with a great life, and I hope they find another child to adopt.

4) The Shu Box’s birth story
Reading birth stories is obviously interesting to me. Mine will be unlike anyone else’s, but I enjoy reading about all of the possibilities.

5) Ellie Krieger’s Salmon Cakes

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I’ve never made any seafood cake, and I liked how few ingredients this required. Plus, when I asked Brody if he would try it, he said yes. This will be a nice summer meal with a big salad on the side.

6) How to induce labor naturally
You know how I mentioned today is my due date? Well now that school is done, Brody and I are ready – like REALLY ready – to meet this baby. I am willing to give some of these a shot, like eating pineapple, but not others, such as drinking castor oil or nipple stimulation (which I’ve read can bring on very strong contractions that can be potentially dangerous).

7) Essential oils on Amazon
Brody and I have plans to spend time outside and up north at my cottage this summer with Baby. A week ago, he asked about bug spray for babies. I hadn’t really looked into it yet (but my initial reaction was “All those funky chemicals on a newborn? No thank you.”) when a fellow teacher with three kids randomly brought it up. She said she uses essential oils on her kids and suggested looking at a starter kit on Amazon. Apparently lemongrass can be especially effective. I haven’t ordered anything yet but it’s in my cart.

8) Brody used my iPad
Friday night’s couch time involved the fifth game in the Blackhawks’ series against the L.A. Kings. In case you don’t follow hockey, the winner of this series goes on to play for the Stanley Cup. After double overtime, the Hawks won Friday’s game, ending the series 4-1. I went to bed before the end but heard Brody cheer. He apparently was doing a little post-game reading on my iPad Saturday morning.

9) Parade of Homes
On Sunday after lunch, Brody and I headed to Bristol Gardens (in Sun Prairie) and Westridge (in Waunakee) to check out houses. We had free tickets, and it seemed like a fun way to spend a few hours. It was…but my feet, hips, and butt were tired by the end. We are hoping to sell our house in a year and move, so it’s been fun to look at houses. In particular, we loved the house by Duren; it had more natural wood than what I normally like as I typically prefer white wide baseboards, but it was beautiful.

10) Costco
Saturday late morning was my friend Jena’s baby shower! I texted the hosts to offer my last minute help, and luckily they took me up on my offer. For dessert, I picked up a cake from Costco, but I needed to make sure they were open before the shower started (they were). I chose the red velvet, and it was a winner! I had a piece at the party and another one after dinner. Sidenote: My sugar intake is a little ridiculous right now.

As I was finishing up this post, this alert popped up on my phone – ha!

I remember putting this day in my calendar back in October, thinking it was SO far away. According to my calendar, she’ll be arriving in twenty minutes. Ya, that’s not happening. I also find the automatic alerts, especially in this situation, hilarious.

I hope you had a fabulous weekend!

Questions:
What website(s) did you visit this weekend?
Do you multitask when relaxing also?

First Afternoon of Summer

Posted on June 8, 2013 by pintofgoals

First and most importantly, I want you all to know I celebrated National Donut Day yesterday. I couldn’t decide on just one donut, so I had two halves.

So good and tasted great with a little iced coffee.

Yesterday around 12:30pm, I graded my last final exam. My fifth full year of teaching was complete. It felt awesome but weird.

Next year I’ll be taking off the entire first semester to stay home with Baby. Knowing I wouldn’t be back in the building or seeing my students and coworkers for many months was surreal. I had many colleagues stop by to make sure I made it, wish me good luck, and chat about pregnancy/birth/kids. I will miss working but know I’ll enjoy being a stay at home mom for a little while.

It’s always a funky transition from the go-go-go of the end the year to the beginning of summer. I literally walked in to my house and had NOTHING to do. Truly nothing.

So what did I do?

I took a nap here.

I talked on the phone with this pretty lady (who is due with her second boy in two weeks!).

I went to the dog park.

I ate an amazing dinner with Brody al fresco: steak from Jacobson Brothers and grilled veggies.

I read a little of Gone Girl before turning the lights out at 10pm.

As I said on Facebook, I am so proud of Baby for listening to my request and waiting to make her grand entrance. But now she can come – we’re ready. Like, maybe tomorrow…

Questions:
Any teachers out there get what I’m saying about the transition into summer?
How would you spend an afternoon with nothing to do?
Do you eat outside often during the summer? Favorite outdoor meal?

Pregnancy Update: Week 39

Posted on June 5, 2013 by pintofgoals

Hey, folks! I’m still here…still pregnant. Am I ready to have this baby? Yes. But am I happy that she’s holding out for exams to be done? Hell yes. Two more days, Baby – that’s all I ask.

How far along? 39 weeks and 2 days.

Cheesy selfie of me drinking Amazing Grass

More normal pic but with no makeup

Baby’s size? A watermelon. Really?!?! Do I look like I swallowed a watermelon? So cliche. She’s 19-21 inches and 6.2-9.2lbs.

Weight gained? Between 20-25 lbs. At last week’s appointment, my doctor said I had only gained a pound in the last three weeks. A student asked how much I had gained. When I told her (and the other few students at her table) 25lbs but that about 4lbs of it was extra blood, their faces were priceless. I’d like to think I may have just prevented at least one teen pregnancy.

Stretch marks? None. Wahoo!

Sleep? I’m up a lot more often, and lucky if I am out for more than three hours at a time. Strangely enough, I’m not tired at all during the day and have been going to bed around 10pm. While I’m tired, I’m not exhausted. Is my body prepping itself for life with a newborn?

Best moment(s) this week? Brody and I celebrated our five year wedding anniversary on Friday! How quickly time goes by. I am one lucky lady to have such an incredible husband and best friend. To honor our marriage and enjoy some alone time, we headed to Nostrano for a nice dinner together.

Nostrano’s menu
I failed to take any pictures besides this one – boo. However you can see the entree options – all sounded amazing. Brody had the Brodetto and I had the Braised Pancetta. Holy yum! For dessert we shared the Affogato: caramel gelato, espresso poured over it, sprinkled with sea salt, and served with three mini sugar-coated donuts. This dessert is on my top 50 food and drink items in Madison (which I am still adding to and will post eventually).

Miss anything? The same stuff, but I would like to share what I WON’T miss: my hair. It is freakin’ incredible! So thick and so much of it. It’ll be a sad day when it starts to fall out a couple months after birth. Brody suggested I get on Rogaine now.

Looking forward to? Meeting our baby and being done with school (and not “working” again until the end of January).

Movement? My belly is tight! She is squeezed in there, so there’s not a lot of wiggle room. I still feel her throughout the day, though – typically under my left rib cage where her feet and knees are.

Food cravings? Iced coffee, sugar (Sunday was a bad day for this – chocolate covered acai berries, homemade chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies, ice cream), and butter and honey on toast.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Chicken breasts still gross me out. I had a chicken gyro last week, and although I ate it, it was mainly because of the tzaziki sauce.

Exercise? Walking is all I do now. Jena and I did three laps at the park on Monday (over two miles), and that felt great. I am looking forward to running again eventually.

Gender? Girl.

Labor signs? I had lots of Braxton Hicks on Saturday. Then yesterday morning I felt what I believe were two real contractions; they felt more like period cramps and were low. I’ve also had a lower back ache since Monday. I think my body is getting ready!

Symptoms? “Watermelon” belly, some swelling in the feet, and then obviously the labor signs I just described.

Belly button in or out? Out. Also, I heard your belly button turns black after as it heals and goes back to normal. Is this true or did I misunderstand someone who was talking about the baby’s belly button?

Wedding rings on or off Off at night and on during the day.

Because a lot of my posts have been baby-centered recently, I’ll leave you with pics of Moose and Frankie that I took this morning. They are so excited to be big brothers!

Happy Hump Day!

Views of a Memorial Day Weekend

Posted on May 27, 2013 by pintofgoals

It’s Monday but it feels like Sunday. I love that. This week is going to fly by!!!

I attempted to take more (random) photos than normal this weekend, and I somewhat succeeded.

Brody used his Phish mug from Bridget for the first time Saturday morning. People have told Brody that with a baby, coffee is going to become a regular drink for him. He was practicing.

I have been loving Corn Chex lately. Dry or with 1% Sassy Cow milk, and it hits the spot. I never have cereal for breakfast, though – only as a snack.

I took the advice of Liz and made some muffins for easy breakfasts once Baby arrives. I’ve had this recipe for sweet potato muffins forever and finally made them. They are delicious!

I am at 37 weeks and 5 days in this picture and getting ready for a Memorial Day BBQ at our friends’ house. I was semi-patriotic with a red tank under a white shirt.

Brody rode his new bike to the BBQ (15 miles in 50 minutes – impressive!). I drove and was responsible for choosing Brody’s beer for the day; I bought Capitol’s new IPA, Bell’s Oberon, and O’Douls red amber (for me).

There was lots of good food at the BBQ; I had a cheeseburger, taco dip, lots and lots of fruit, and a cupcake. I brought screwdriver cupcakes (meant to be a bundt cake but worked great as cupcakes), a recipe from a Wine and Recipe night, and people loved them.

On Monday, we all woke up to cold, rainy weather. While Brody and I were happy to have the weather match our level of ambition, the dogs were not thrilled. Lots of pouting going on around here.

Enjoy the last few hours of your three-day weekend!

Baby Shower

Posted on May 27, 2013 by pintofgoals

Happy Memorial Day!

While I should be bummed that it’s cold and drizzly outside, I’m not. A day inside relaxing on the couch, watching Newsroom (a fabulous HBO show), grading research papers, and writing a couple blog posts is just what I need. Okay, I could do without the grading part, but it can’t be all rest and relaxation.

I’ve been procrastinating on this post but am excited to share the day with you all and also get everything documented before I forget all of the details. I’ve heard mommy brain is way worse than pregnancy brain.

The first weekend in May, my sister and mom threw me a baby shower. Luckily people (besides me) took pictures using Brody and my new camera: Canon PowerShot XS260 HS. They turned out great and will help me remember this fun day.

My mom and sister, Laura, kept me in the dark about most things, which I was perfectly fine with. They had a pale yellow and pink theme – very pretty.

My mom works at a bakery up in the Appleton area, and the owner made this beautiful cake. I loved the book idea! As I’ve mentioned, reading to our baby is something Brody and I are very excited to do, and we have TONS of books already.

But back to this cake. It was not only gorgeous but also delicious: vanilla cake, strawberry filling, and the most perfect, fluffy, not overly sweet frosting.

Sadly, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law do not live close by, and instead of booking flights to come to the shower, they’re waiting to come visit until the baby is born. Makes sense – this baby is going to be much more interesting outside of my belly. They were both at the shower in spirit, though, and I thought of them every time I looked at the beautiful flowers they sent.

I loved looking at this huge bouquet on my kitchen table for the next week!

Originally, I believe my mom and sister were considering hosting the shower at a restaurant, but Kelly and Owen graciously opened up their house for this shindig. Their house is an open-concept layout with a patio right off the kitchen – it was seriously perfect, so thank you to them!

Owen loved being the only male at the party, and as always, he was such a happy baby.

In case you were wondering, the other boys, Barret (Kelly’s husband, Owen’s dad, and Brody’s law school buddy and now coworker) and Brody, took the dogs up to the Dodgeville area where Barret’s parents have a house and lots of land – like 300+ acres. They all spent the afternoon hiking, and the dogs went swimming in a pond.

After mingling for a bit, my sister had everyone sit and we did the first game and round of gifts. Using pink string, guests had to guess my belly’s circumference – I believe my godmother, Linda, won.

Every guest was asked to bring a book that either they or their child enjoyed. It was so fun getting more books! Surprisingly, with this shower and my one at school (where people were also asked to each bring a book), I didn’t end up with too many duplicates. Plus, I’ve been told, it’s good to have more than one for putting in various places: nursery, first floor, car, diaper bag, etc.

After book opening, it was time to eat. We had quite the buffet: pulled pork and ham sandwiches, fruit salad, pasta salad, veggies and dip, taco salad, and pita and hummus. Of course we also had cake.
And we had cookies made by my sister’s coworker.

It was so nice outside that a handful of guests and myself ate on the patio. Wisconsin had been having such a craptastic spring, so this sunshine and warm weather felt amazing.

After eating, we all came back inside to play a couple more games. My sister did a great job of picking games that were fun but not too cheesy or time consuming. Good work Laura!

Next, it was time to open gifts. While I love getting these gifts for Baby and so appreciate everyone’s generosity, this is my least favorite part of showers. I tried to find a balance between not going too slow, but also taking my time with each person’s gift to show how thankful I am. I also recognize it’s not the most entertaining part of the day for my guests, so I don’t want them to be bored.

By the end of the gift opening, I was a little sweaty, not gonna lie.

People started to head out after the gifts had been opened. The shower started at 11am, and it was around 2pm by this time.

I had so much fun seeing everyone, and there were lots of different groups of friends who came: high school friends, college friends, Wine and Recipe friends, Brody’s female coworkers/friends, and family friends. It was a wonderful day, and I was reminded how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life.

I can’t wait for Baby to meet all of these fantastic people, including the two people who made this day possible: my mom and sister.

Questions:

When you attend showers (bridal or baby), do you buy off the registry, give gift cards, or get something different?

What’s your favorite and least favorite parts of being a guest at a shower and being the “guest of honor”?

Baby Stuff, Baking, and Time with Friends

Posted on May 19, 2013 by pintofgoals

First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who shared some words of wisdom with me and answered my questions. I took much of your advice:
-Huggies sensitive wipes (448 count) were purchased.
-I picked out three nursing tanks from Target: two of these (same ones Liz likes) and one of these.
-We bought two more crib sheets; they were only $9.99, and since the bed converts to a toddler’s, I’m sure they’ll get used eventually.
-More disposable diapers (Pampers Swaddlers most likely) are needed. It sounds like the poops early on are so nasty, we won’t want to deal with cleaning the cloth diaper inserts.
-I may freeze some meals, or maybe double up on some recipes I make in these next few weeks that freeze well. I also want to bake a couple dozen healthy muffins for breakfast.

I had a very lovely weekend and did a decent job taking photos. Weekend recap starting…now.

Brody’s coworkers had a little get-together on Friday night to celebrate our upcoming bundle of joy. It was super low-key and basically a good reason to have everyone hang out, eat good food, and drink.

Kids were welcome, so obviously O-Dub (aka Owen, who is 6.5 months!) attended the soirée. He is such a happy, chill baby – plus he apparently likes the Blackhawks and Brody.

After grading for a couple hours Saturday morning, Brody and I took the dogs to the park. For how nice it was (besides the humidity), it was a quiet walk. The pups were stinky after two days at daycare this week, three trips to the dog park, and just general dog scent. They both got baths and a brushing, and now we have clean, soft puppies.

Moose’s hair/fur doesn’t dry well; Brody gave the hair dryer a shot. Moose was kind of into it, but it would’ve taken at least twenty minutes to dry him completely.

Saturday afternoon included some intense nesting (hanging of baby clothes, putting away of blankets and odds and ends, and acquiring of more baby clothes), grocery shopping, dropping off of cardboard boxes at the dump (they were taking over the garage), and some baking.

The large vat of strawberries from Costco stares at me every time I open the fridge, and as much as I love them, the acidity gets to me. I headed to Smitten Kitchen for some meal planning and found this recipe.

Considering I have never made biscuits before and don’t really know what it means to overwork dough, I was quite impressed with myself. They are the best the day off, and rather than eat all eleven myself, I gave two to a neighbor (who gave me the baby clothes) and two to the couple we met for dinner later that night.

Speaking of dinner, our jam-packed day ended with a casual evening out at Ale Asylum with our friends Andrew and Melissa. I ordered the spicy black bean burger, and it was so good. The chipotle mayo played a key role in the burger’s success. We luckily landed a table outside and stayed until 9:30pm chatting. Brody and I recognize it may be a little bit more difficult to see our friends and enjoy dinners out in a few weeks, so we’re taking advantage of these opportunities now.

My interest in baking and strawberries continued into Sunday when I made waffles topped with strawberries (duh), unsweetened coconut, and real maple syrup.

I made one for Brody too, but he ran five miles outside and was a sweaty mess when he got done as it was (and still is) very humid. The smell of baked dough wasn’t very appealing – it looks like breakfast is already made for me tomorrow!

While browsing Smitten Kitchen’s blog, I had also found this vegetable-heavy recipe. Many of her recipes are more involved (ingredient and skill-wise) than I typically go for. However, I can handle chopping veggies. To be honest, I find cutting up fruit and veggies very relaxing. Meat? That’s another story.

To appease my husband, I omitted the kalamata olives and will add them to my own servings. Isn’t it so pretty? It’s going to taste delicious next to chicken sausages on the grill. Also, you may notice there is feta cheese in this salad. It is made from pasteurized milk, so I feel safe consuming this soft cheese.

Now I sit here with Brody, on our back patio, with our feet up, waiting for the chicken sausages to be put on the grill.

Not a bad way to end a great weekend.

Pregnancy Update: 36 Weeks

Posted on May 17, 2013 by pintofgoals

Phew! We all made it through another week. Sometimes Friday seems so far away on Monday morning.

Baby and I also made it through another week together, which is good because I’m not full-term yet. Soon though. Very soon.

How far along? 36 weeks and 3 days.

Baby’s size? She’s a honeydew this week – approximately 17.5 – 19 inches and still 4.2-5.8 lbs. My fundus measurement yesterday was 37cm, so she grew a little more.

Weight gained? Between 20-25 lbs. I didn’t gain any this last week, so I’m thinking I’ve topped off. I’ve heard some women even lose a few pounds at the end, not that I really care. I’m very happy with my healthy weight gain.

Stretch marks? None.

Sleep? Now that it’s warmed up a little, it has been fantastic to sleep with the windows open. I still am up way more times than I’d like, but it’s not disrupting my daytime living.

Best moment(s) this week?I laughed the hardest when my coworker and fellow carpooler, Dave, presented me (or us, the carpool) with an Emergency Transportation Delivery Kit. Our drive is about thirty minutes, and if by chance Baby needs to come out, we are prepared: apron, forceps, sponge, ear plugs, and latex gloves.

Same picture from last post

Two days later, he brought an updated kit which included brandy wine (more for me than Dave), a garbage bag, and paper towels.

I will miss my two carpoolers next year when I’m home for first semester!

Miss anything? Regular clothes, beer (and not just a sip or two), stomach sleeping, and running.

Looking forward to? School being done (T minus 10 instructional days!!!), summer, and of course the big one: meeting Baby!

Movement? She is still quite active. Considering how cramped it’s got to be in there, she kicks me a lot. My left bottom ribs are a little sore actually.

Food cravings? Iced coffee, tortilla chips, and green monster smoothies.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nothing really. My blood pressure was again normal – yah!

Exercise? I did make it to the cardio class Saturday morning (and was the only pregnant person there), got to the dog park twice, and did 30 minutes on the elliptical one day. Not too bad.

Gender? Girl.

Labor signs? Some Braxton Hicks and a handful of twinges down there. Nothing consistent or concerning.

Symptoms? I think I “dropped” on Wednesday; there’s a little more room for me to breathe. As I mentioned before, I have some minor swelling, and my feet ache by the end of the day.

Belly button in or out? Out, and you can see it through shirts.

Wedding rings on or off Off at night and on during the day. Most of the swelling in my hands is at night, and the swelling in my feet happens at the end of the day.

Other pregnancy/baby news:
-My fellow Wine & Recipe pregnant friend, Amber, had her second child this week. They chose to not find out the gender, and they had a boy! No word yet on the name but there was a cute picture of Baby and Dad.
-I finished all of my thank you notes from my last shower (which I still need to upload photos from and do a post) but just need to buy stamps.
-As I’ve shared, all the clothes are washed and now need to be organized. A friend suggesting hanging most of it, and Brody and I both agree that’s a good idea. We’ll be able to see most things and hopefully use most of the clothes we have been given. I think we’ll still fold the white onesies though and put those in a drawer.

And to finish up, I have some questions for the mamas out there. To them and everyone else, have a great weekend!

Questions:
-Does our clothing organization sound like a reasonable plan?
-Do you recommend stocking the freezer with leftovers and/or pre-made meals?
-How many burp cloths are necessary?
-Do most newborns need to wear disposables or is there a chance she’ll be able to wear the cloth diapers right away?
-Should I buy a big thing of wipes or a small container in case she reacts to that brand?
-How many crib sheets should we have? Is three okay?
-How many nursing tanks would you recommend?